Counter-terrorism F-16's
The Bush administration's decision to move $230 million of the counter-terrorism funding Congress had approved for Pakistan to pay for upgrades to their Air Force's F-16 fleet is beginning to raise hackles in Congress. Since the Pakistani's refuse to use bombing against the Taliban or Al Quaeda, it seems like a curious decision. But like many moves coming out of the military industrial complex, it turns out the decision is being driven by industry not military needs.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because Congress was weighing the plan, said the timing was driven by deadlines of the American contractor, Lockheed Martin.
Whether Senator Leahy and Congresswoman Lowey, both of whom have objected to this move, will be able to resist the pressures of military contract lobbying is an interesting case study in the long history of the MIC to roll Congress.
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Comments (14)
Now the Taliban supporting Islamic fundamentalist elements in the Pakistani ISI/military/gov't will have a more advanced delivery system for their nuclear weapons.
July 24, 2008 12:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, don't worry. Lockheed Martin is willing to build a bunch of F-22 raptors to contain the suped up F-16s they're selling to our frenemies abroad. They have a product for everything, those guys!
July 24, 2008 12:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is this important? US military sales account for 18 percent (probably much higher by now) of the national budget. The US cannot reduce its arms sales because of the consequent fall in GDP.
July 24, 2008 12:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
wait, that's an F-14...
July 24, 2008 2:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Looks like the picture on the site is of an F-18...
July 24, 2008 3:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
And while I'm being pedantic, the headline to this post should be Counter-terrorism F-16s with no apostrophe.
July 24, 2008 3:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, and there is an extra apostrophe in the body of the post as well. I think the plural of Pakistani would be Pakistanis (no apostrophe).
I was trying to figure out how "the Pakistani's refuse" could be an issue here. Why are we concerned about the trash (refuse) the Pakistanis create?
It's not just nit-picking. Punctuation matters.
-- ARG
July 29, 2008 3:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
actually, I think it's an F-15 Strike Eagle. You can tell from the tail fins. An F-16 has one, F-18 has two, but they angle outwards.
July 24, 2008 3:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ah, I think you're right.
The apostrophe in the headline is still wrong, though.
July 24, 2008 4:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
He is right, it's an F-15. Also GD makes the F-16, not LMT.
July 25, 2008 7:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yup, check the air intakes.
July 25, 2008 7:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Christ, and all I had was a Thompson.
July 24, 2008 6:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
As far as I can tell, the refit of Pakistans ageing F16 fleet has only one purpose - to give Pakistan some air balance with India in Kashmir, where the ill equiped F16's were out matched by Indian MIG's in the battle of Kargil. The simple fact is that while the US has pumped billions into Pakistan for a bogus "war on terror", the Pakistani's have always redirected the bulk of that money towards keeping pace with India in its own war in Kashmir. This has always been Pakistans sole motivation for military aid, and always will be.
July 25, 2008 6:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's things like that spring to my mind whenever I hear a Republican talk about a stong national defense, because I know in reality that what they're thinking is:
"a financially strong national defense contractor."
July 25, 2008 1:37 PM | Reply | Permalink